Finding Faith
by ever
Summary: A thanksgiving story...


Finding Faith  
A Thanksgiving Story  
  
Mush was beginning a normal day in a newsie's life. Thanksgiving was in two days and as he walked down the distribution steps that morning he couldn't help but look forward to it. Kloppman always treated the boys to a warm bed and a turkey feast, on the house. Mush was envisioning the turkey with it's steam curls and picturing the cranberry sauce when he bumped into someone.   
"Sorry," he said, looking down at a little girl. She smiled shyly and shook her head her blond curls bouncing. Mush looked up as the two girls she was with brushed past him.  
"Rich people," he thought. But he couldn't help thinking about the three of them. The tallest girl was a picture of beauty. Her high cheekbones and delicate features were accentuated with the flush of her cheeks and her green eyes were pricked with sadness. She was a tall girl, who carried herself in a stately manner. The dress she wore was a green floral print, with flounces, trimmed with lace, and accentuated by with flowers and green bows. She wore a matching hat to cover her brown hair that fell just short of her waist and was curly, like the younger girl's. Mush could tell, by their identical eyes, that they were sisters. The third girl was completely unlike the other two. In comparison to their light frocks and happy colors she wore black with a taupe jacket. Her brown hair was pulled back tightly and gave her face a severe look, but one couldn't help but notice the expression in her slate grey eyes. There was such torment and sadness inside of them. One wondered whether she was in this world at all or had she withdrawn to her own personal dungeon to be tortured by her own personal demons.  
Mush straightened. "That's enough," he told himself, shaking his head. He tried to return to the thanksgiving meal, but he couldn't get the three girls out of his head. Sighing he left the distribution center and went to start selling.  
******************************  
Of course it was Katherine, or Kate, as some liked to call her, that held Emily's hand. Anna knelt by the graves of her parents, her eyes glazed with tears. Emily tried to comfort her sister, but she could not, for she did not understand Anna's grief. She had been too young when her parents died. Kate pulled her back and when tears drops started to form in Emily's eyes Kate held her too. The three of them stood there for several moments and then Anna stood up. Daintily she wiped her eyes and took Emily's hand from Kate. Kate let go with a sigh.   
It had been many years since Anna and Emilys' parents had died in the horrible fire. Ever since they had come to live with their uncle, Kate had been Anna's best friend.   
Anna saw the world through rose colored glasses. Her uncle spoiled her and her sister, but she did not see it. She did not see Kate standing with plain clothes and hair pulled tightly back. She saw only Kate, her best friend. Everything was black and white, so simple.  
Katherine saw the world in shades of grey. Her father enforced strict rules and she never dared disobey. She saw the people working in sweatshops and factories, which Anna did not. It hurt her that her city, New York, was run in such a way and it hurt her that her father was part of it.  
"Buy me last pape lady," a little boy offered Anna. She stared at the boy, not quite comprehending what he wanted.   
"Here you go," Katherine said, handing him a dime, and pushing the paper back into his hands. She had enough newspapers.  
"Gee, thanks lady," the boy said, turning quickly so that Kate caught sight of ten or twelve more papers that the boy was carrying. Kate laughed quickly.  
"What's so funny?" Emily asked. Anna examined her quizzically.  
"Nothing," Kate said.  
*******************  
"Have a nice time with the Van Wyck girls?"  
Kate nodded solemnly to her father. Her daily questioning was a routine by now. She loved her father dearly, but his need to know everything that happened in her life annoyed her sometimes.   
"Where did you go?" her father asked, absent mindedly. Now that wasn't like him. He usually pounced upon her at every dinner.  
From across the long table Kate looked up. "To the cemetery."  
"To the cemetery?" her father repeated the words in disbelief. "That's an unusual choice for an outing."  
"It's the anniversary of their parents death."  
"Oh, now I remember." Her father seemed to be lost in the flow of time. Kate turned to her roast beef and potatoes. She nudged the white mush on her plate with little interest.  
"Are you planning on eating tonight, dear?"  
Kate dutifully shoved a forkful of food into her mouth.  
Her father watched carefully scrutinizing her every move. He knew about how his daughter was a ticking bomb; unless carefully treated she would go off at any minute. He leaned back in his chair and considered. To ask her what he was contemplating could be the final thing, which would push her to the other side and yet it could also bring her back to him. He knew she would never dare refuse anything he asked of her. And so he said," I have a proposition for you Katherine." Kate winced at how her father pronounced every syllable of her stately name. "Come into the study."  
She rose and obediently followed her father to his study. The place smelled of leather and the dim lamplight always seemed to remind Kate of the shadowy business that was conducted there.  
"You're familiar with the newsie strike."  
Kate winced. Her father had never openly spoken to her about it before. She supposed he had taken this as a concession of agreement with him on the matters of the strike. But as she went over what she thought of it, it was anything but that. She remembered seeing the leader Jack Kelley on the night he had come to the house. Tall, good looking, and iron willed her hopes and prayers had gone with him into her father's study. She prayed that he could resist temptation. She had also seen his escape. Watching from her bedroom window she had seen him flee with an unknown companion. Her father had shielded her as much as possible from the real story of the strike, but she had heard everything from the Van Wyck girls.  
"A man named Snyder," her father's voice brought her back to the present," helped apprehend the leader." He seemed to be waiting for a response, but was granted none. "He was the warden of the juvenile delinquent center. Involvement with the strike caused him to loose his job." Kate faintly remembered the story surrounding the man. "He's is on trial now for child abuse and mis-use of funds." Her father seemed to be discussing this with her in a remarkably open and matter of fact way. She wondered what he could possibly want from her. "The mis- use of funds is a remarkably small thing. I can take care of that. But the children are another. To clear up charges we would need a newsie to testify."  
"But even if one agreed to testify wouldn't it just prove him guilty?" Kate interrupted.  
Her father gazed at her. "Arrangements can made, certain questions can be asked...." Bribes can be offered. It was the same old game again. Kate winced under the thought of the shadowy intrigues and the late night meetings. She allowed her thoughts to wander briefly to her deceased mother. What had she thought of all this? Or had it started after her death?  
"It would be most helpful," her father was saying," if you would go to the newsies, disguised as one of them, to give us an inside ear."  
"How would that help?"  
"Well you may befriend one of them convince them to testify..."  
Kate gulped. She had never told her father no. It wasn't just the vague thought that something here was not right which she disturbed her but also... Kate was not very outgoing. In fact she had been known at times to be downright shy and laconic.  
Pulitzer studied his daughter's uneasiness. The Van Wyck girl... Anna. She was outgoing enough, and pretty enough to loosen a few tongues too. "Of course you could take your friend... Anna with you," he said.  
"Is her uncle involved in this too?"  
"The mayor... knows of our dealing, but he is not involved at present."  
Kate thought it over. A few days away out of the house with Anna might be nice. She wouldn't necessarily be doing anything wrong. The fact that she would be deceiving her would be friends didn't cross her mind. She couldn't disappoint her father. "I'll do it," she said.  
Joseph Pulitzer smiled at his daughter. He was in truth not an awful father. Perhaps if had realized that he was keeping his precious Katherine from successfully reaching adulthood he would have loosened his rules slightly. However Kate had not had a mother for a long time and Pulitzer knew nothing of how to treat little girls.   
As for Kate, planning out little details in her father's study, late at night, she had never felt closer to him.  
***************************  
And so the next night found Kate, Anna and little Emily, who had persisted in tagging along settled at the newsies boarding house. Ruth had looked a little quizzical at first at the prospect of having other female company. She had been alone since Rose left for Brooklyn. Kloppman had quickly rectified the sleeping situation by putting up a sheet partition in the boys bunkroom, behind which all four girls slept. Ruth was little dubious at first, but a slight glance from Jack and a shrug from Kid had told her, her days in the kitchen were over. Kloppman had resolved to clean out the third floor, which was identical to the second, and use it as a girl's bunkroom.  
No one seemed to recognize the girls and under their aliases Kate was fairly sure they were safe. Picking out different names had been Emily's idea. After much deliberation Kate had settled on Faith. Anna had chosen the fair Cordelia and Emily after much trial and tribulation had settled on Grace.  
Faith, Kate paused a moment to ponder the choice of her name. What was it exactly that she had faith in? God, of course, that was taken almost as a given. Her father? Did she really have faith in him? Was he doing the right thing? Herself? Could she ever have faith in herself?  
With that shocking thought her mind reeled back to the present. She pondered their situation. Anna had made friends fast. Just as Kate had expected Anna's sweetness and innocence not to mention her beauty had won the newsies over in an instant. All Kate and Emily had to do was bask in the glory.  
Kate didn't have to switch into spy mode, yet. The news of Snyder's trial hadn't even hit the newsies yet and all she had to do for the present was sit back and relax. An intent stare from the other side of their hastily constructed bunkroom caught her eye. The girl introduced as Forever, and sometimes Ruth, was assessing Kate's situation.  
Of the three girls Ruth would have to say she like Faith best so far. She had never had any female companions besides Sarah and something about Faith's air and abashed appearance intrigued and also delighted her. She liked the others too. But she was too used to being protective of her newsies to take an instant liking to Cordelia. Ruth's beauty was no rival to Cordelia's. Forever was perfectly aware that this was a jealous action but she knew in that resigned way that in time it would fade and she could be just as friendly with Cordelia as Faith. But for tonight sleep called to her and not even a persistent utterance of her name from the other side of the sheet could keep her awake.  
"You manage without talking to me every night," she told Kid, which wasn't all true since many times they talked in the kitchen into the wee hours of the morning. Soon the whisperings stopped and even Kate was able to slumber contentedly, but Anna was kept awake.  
*******************************  
Kate doused her face with ice cold water. She shivered from the chilliness, but also from her friend, Anna's, expression which was colder than any water. The newsies had found out early that morning, even before they left the boarding house, (courtesy of Racetrack) about Snyder's trial. Indignation and anger ran through the air, but contrary to Kate's father's ideas all of the newsies would have been happy to testify and willingly tell everyone what they thought of Snyder. They didn't think of the bribes and could only remember that Teddy Roosevelt was once on their side.  
"Faith," the word was said with grim determination. "I need to talk to you," Anna said.  
The two girls moved to the corner of the room.  
"You never told me why we were coming here," Anna said accusingly.  
Kate sighed.  
"But I know now."  
"Good. I wanted to tell you but--"  
"And I'm ashamed." Kate started. Of all the things she thought about Anna she had never even considered this one. "How could you do this? You who are always championing the people's rights?"   
"I didn't think you were listening to all those speeches," Kate said, trying to laugh.  
"Kate, from other people when they think I have no brains and can't see anything it's okay. But from you... You're my best friend." Anna was on the verge of tears.  
"I understand," Kate said, "but.... Things aren't so black and white. I can't disobey my father."  
"Even when you know what he's doing is wrong," Anna said in a loud whisper.  
"I won't help him, but I had to come."  
"One day," Anna said," you're going to have to choose and I pray that you'll make the right decision."  
"Anna, it's not that easy. You don't even like your uncle... He's my father. I love him." Anna gave her friend a long look.  
"C'mon," she said, " the others will start to suspect something is up."   
*******************  
"So you're Faith?" A boy with brown curls and a remarkably easy appearance said to Kate.  
"Yeah." She studied his face intensely. She knew him from somewhere... Of course he was the one that helped Jack escape.  
"This here is David," Jack told her," the walking mouth." David laughed slightly and Kate blushed under his intense stare.  
"So I was thinking maybe you'd like to sell me. I can show you the ropes since Jack is a little busy today," David raised his voice as he uttered the last part. From across the crowd Jack threw him a look and then returned to his conversation with Forever.   
Kate stuttered a little. "Um..." she said.  
"Your friends can come too..." David said, quickly. "Cordelia and Grace, right?" David bent down so that he was eye level with Emily. "I have a brother just your size," he said," but he's at home today."  
Kate smiled and finally produced an answer. "We'd love to come."  
David smiled too. The three girls had immediately attracted his attention. He realized that the little girl, Grace, would soon be a favorite among the newsies and from what he had seen of Cordelia she could fend for herself. But Faith intrigued him. She was shy and not very outspoken, yet the other two girls seemed to look to her as a natural leader and somehow David couldn't shake the feeling that her friendship would be a very good thing to have. He had been feeling a little out of it lately around Sarah and Jack. He couldn't understand them. It wasn't that he wanted something like them. He just wanted a friend to talk to and it might help a little if she was a girl, since he still had Jack.  
"What do you think they're going to do about Snyder?" Kate asked, glancing at Anna.  
"Oh, I don't know... You know how it is Pulitzer can just bribe the judge and they'll let him off scot- free."  
"What if he didn't this time?"  
David gave her a look. "He needs to save his hide." Kate winced and hoped it wasn't visible. "The only way we could win is if we had someone working from the inside."  
"Why? How would that help?"  
"To find files and records of the financial charges."  
"Oh you mean someone inside the orphanage."  
"No, Pulitzer. He probably has them locked up someplace, with hard evidence they have to convict him."  
The wheels in Kate's head began to turn. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and the date of the trial. Maybe, just maybe, she could give the newsies something to be really thankful for.  
*************************  
Getting into the house was a small affair. She knew that Lucy, the cook, always left the back door open. It was getting into the file cabinets that was a problem. She supposed by now they had realized she was missing at the newsie house. Maybe even Anna had told them her story. Anna would stay. Kate had realized that from the first. Anna and Emily had no affection for their uncle and were both enraptured with the newsie's way of living. Kate found her thoughts straying to David. He had gone out of his way to be friendly, with a slight pang she realized that when this was all over she would have to be Katherine Pulitzer again and she would have to forget Faith.  
She tried to weigh the consequences of her father's anger in her mind. It would mean an unpleasant Thanksgiving, an unpleasant holiday season in general and she was loosing her best friend. She tried to push the bad things out of her mind. Carefully and quietly she got the keys to the file cabinets from her father's desk. Silent as a mouse she rummaged through his files. "Orphanage Funds." She pulled the file out with a grim smile. It was all here. It showed the amount of money going into the orphanage and the amount spent on the boys, great chunks were missing. How could she prove where the money had gone? Searching further she pulled out "Snyder's Expenses." There it showed all the missing money and where it was distributed. Kate grimaced as she saw the expenses used to pay for Snyder's lavish luxuries. Clutching both folders tightly she carefully closed the drawer and replaced the key. Everything looked as though it had been untouched. Then she crawled into her old bed, her body tingling with the excitement and dread of tomorrow.  
********************************  
The trial wasn't going well and David's head hurt with a slight hangover from last night. A tiny sense of loss pervaded his body as he thought about Faith, or Kate. Anna had enlightened them this morning. It was kind of hard to take. Now here they were fighting for what seemed like a hopeless cause... Almost all of the newies, Sarah, and Denton were meeting in a small (relatively, it had to be pretty big to hold all of them) office in the courthouse. Denton had hired a lawyer for them.  
"We can't win on child abuse," the lawyer was saying," it's impossible."  
"What about the financial stuff?" Jack suggested.  
"We can't prove any of that," Davy said, flopping down into a chair discouraged.  
"You can't prove it." The newsies turned to see Kate standing in the doorway. "But I can," she said, holding up two manilla folders.  
********************************  
Kate could hardly believe the expression on her father's face as he saw her.  
"Those are my folders," he was saying," they should all be charged on breaking and entering."  
"It wouldn't be breaking and entering," Kate said. Her father turned to her. "If you lived there."  
The court case was over and the newsies had won, but Kate had lost.  
"Outside, young lady," her father said, taking her arm. David watched her go.   
"Why don't you follow her?" Jack said.  
"She's..." David never finished the sentence.  
"She's... Do we have a concluding thought here?" Jack asked.  
"She's so strong," David said," to stand up to her father like that and..."  
"And she needs your help."  
"But why me? I'm so..."  
"Weak," Jack filled in. David looked at him. "Listen Davy, you're not weak you just think you are. In fact she probably thinks she is too and that' why she needs you and not Mush or Race or me. She needs you." David sighed.  
***********************  
"Do you realize what you have done?!"  
"Yes," Kate said.  
"Do you understand?! You have gone against me your father to help a bunch of hooligans!!!"  
"Daddy, I..."  
"No, you can not apologize for this."  
"Daddy, please you have to understand." Comprehension suddenly came to Kate that she was going to be in trouble for a lot longer than the holidays.  
"No, you must understand that until you can obey my rules you will not live under my roof."  
"What..."  
"You heard me, until you are ready to accept my rules and my way do not enter my house," Pulitzer said. He was fuming. His own daughter, whom he loved, had chosen the newsies over him. He turned and got into the carriage and left.  
Kate stood there as though physically wounded and then David came out.  
"Kate," he said, the word sounding strange on his lips. She turned and fled, but he followed her and finally caught up to her in an alleyway.  
"Kate," he said out of breath and panting. "What happened?"  
"He kicked me out..." She was sobbing.  
"Who? Your father?" There was no answer, but her muffled sobs. David knelt down and put his arms around her. "I don't understand," he told her.  
Finally Kate looked up. "To you he was the enemy," she said. "But he was my father. I still loved him."  
David stood up and then pulled Kate up. "Listen," he said, "sometimes the people we love don't do the right thing." He looked into her eyes. "And sometimes we're forced to choose between them and you chose and..."  
Kate stopped sobbing. "But it still hurts," she said.  
David put his arm around her shoulders and she allowed herself to be led home, to the newsies.   
****************  
"Kate," Anna's eyes were shinning as Kate and David entered the feasting room at the lodging house. Just like Mush's vision, everyone was there. Everyone was happy, basking in their victory and thanksgiving.  
Kate held David's hand tightly. It seemed strange to her that she had found so many friends so suddenly and then it hit her that she was going to be one of them, one of the newsies.  
"Faith," she told Anna, hugging her.  
"That's a pretty special name," Jack said. "Now you're a real newsie," he said grinning.  
David turned to Faith. "A special name for a special girl," he said. In his head he knew he had found that friend he was looking for and in his heart he knew much more than that.  
  
The End 


End file.
